For those of you who might be joining this blog journey without having read the other installments, let me share again the opening of part one for you so you can appreciate the meaning behind the title: Cut and Paste Jesus:
What do you know about the Bible Thomas Jefferson created? He titled his creation The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Jefferson in the fall and winter months of 1819 and 1820 used a razor to cut portions from seven different Bibles to create what is now commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible. If you would like to read more about his creation, you can find it here through this link: Smithsonian Magazine.
My question is this, have we created our own cut and paste version of Jesus by selectively promoting certain texts above others? Have we repeated Jefferson’s practice in theory because subconsciously we are avoiding the tension that comes from trying to reconcile what appears to be conflicting texts in Scripture that pertain to Jesus’ teachings on offense, confrontation, and accountability?
Okay, on with part four. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus gives instruction about what to do if we are making an offering of some kind to God and remember that “someone” has something against us, we are supposed to go to that person and be reconciled and then come back to make our offering. Now we understand that Jesus is giving specific instructions regarding the offering of sacrifices as prescribed in the Mosaic Law. But I believe the instruction is still relevant as part of the New Covenant. Meaning, that when we are at church, the Holy Spirit might bring to remembrance someone who has something against us and that we should go to that person with the hopes of being reconciled to them.
The NLT says “someone” but the NASB says “brother” and I believe the NLT is too generic. I don’t believe that Jesus is saying that “someone” should be anyone. I base that conclusion mainly on Matthew 15. In verse 12 the disciples inform Jesus that the religious leaders were offended at what Jesus had just said. In verse 13 Jesus doesn’t say, “Oh wow, let me go talk with them lest the next time I’m at the Temple making an offering, my gift will be unacceptable.” He actually doubles down and refers to those leaders in a derogatory way calling them “blind leading the blind.”
I wonder if Jesus in Matthew 5 was giving us similar instruction to Matthew 18? Are there some preconditions that should be considered before Matthew 5’s instruction on offerings are relevant? Is Jesus referring to people with whom we have an existing relationship that has been strained in some way? Is Jesus referring to a relationship that should be reconciled? Is Jesus referring only to situations and circumstances when someone has a legitimate complaint against us?
I think all of these questions are important for two reasons. First, let’s be careful that we are not creating an expectation for ourselves or others to repair fractured relationships that should remain severed. That does not mean that we are allowed to withhold forgiveness, on the contrary, our hearts must not be in a place that harbor ill-will toward others. Second, our conclusions about any Scriptural texts are always misguided if that conclusion is a “standard” that Jesus Himself did not embrace. Jesus lived a perfect life, so any interpretation of His teachings that ultimately contradict His own actions are faulty interpretations.
Again, I’m not promising answers to all the questions this blog raises. My goal is to share with you a journey of study and prayer and reflection that I am currently pursuing. I also hope people who feel they are being subjected to ungodly behavior discover how Scripture gives them permission to stand up for their own well being. This is hard for many people because these ideas are in contrast to the controlling, misguided, and often misogynistic points of view that have silenced them through fear of being labeled as unChristian. In over 20 years of pastoral ministry, I have heard countless stories of how people have been subjected to such treatment. I hope this blog series continues to say to you that you are seen, loved, and championed.
This study continues to be both surprising and convicting. I am surprised at how often Jesus is aggressive, defiant, and outspoken. And I am convicted of my own Jeffersonian cutting and pasting through the years, ignoring these sides of Jesus that are prevalent throughout all four gospels. Father, may we be dependent on the guidance of the Holy Spirit to know when we should be graciously passive or righteously wrathful. And may we continue to allow Scriptures to examine our hearts, judge our behaviors, and direct our corresponding acts of repentance.